MPs' findings

Vaz should be suspended for a month Three out of 11 complaints upheld Vaz committed "serious breaches of the MPs code of conduct" He was guilty of "a contempt" of the Commons

In the event they agreed the suspension without a division.

Before withdrawing from the Commons' chamber to allow MPs to debate the report, Mr Vaz argued that he had "co-operated in every possible way" with the inquiry.

That point was disputed by Sir George Young, the chairman of the Standards and Privileges committee.

The standards committee had criticised the Leicester East MP for refusing to co-operate with an inquiry into his conduct and failing to declare cash donations.

Sir George went on to question Mr Vaz's wisdom in holding an impromptu press conference on the report last week.

Mr Vaz said at the time that the punishment, one of the toughest ever handed down to an MP, was "disproportionate" to his alleged misdemeanours and against natural justice.

Response to Filkin

Mr Vaz was found to have given "misleading information" about his financial links to the Hinduja brothers, whose passport applications caused the storm that saw Peter Mandelson resign from government.

The standards committee upheld three of the 11 complaints against Mr Vaz.

Filkin leaves her post on Wednesday

It said it might have been satisfied with an apology had it not been for the way the MP responded to Ms Filkin's inquiry.

The committee concluded: "We have found that Mr Vaz committed serious breaches of the code of conduct and a contempt of the House."

Attack on process

Conservative MP Peter Bottomley says he is standing down from the Commons standards committee in protest at the way Ms Filkin has been treated.

The watchdog has complained of a whispering campaign against her and says her job has been downgraded.

She will be replaced by newly appointed standards commissioner Philip Mawer.

Mr Vaz argues the report was rushed out and published before the full facts were known and says he did cooperate with the investigation.

But his claim that Leicestershire Police are still investigating one of the claims has been denied by the force.

Resignation

Mr Vaz clearly wants to continue in the Commons and has the full support of his constituency party.

An investigation last year upheld only one minor charge against Mr Vaz, out of a total of 18, and the standards committee took no disciplinary action.

But Ms Filkin said she could not complete her inquiries on another eight complaints because she said Mr Vaz failed to give her prompt and clear answers.

Mr Vaz, who was last year cleared of wrongdoing over the Hinduja passports affair, resigned from the government after the general election, citing ill health.